The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of an emulsifying agent and, more particularly, to an enzyme modified material containing a lipid together with a lipoprotein and/or a protein.
Egg yolk is often used as an emulsifying agent in mayonnaise, soups and sauces, etc. However, such emulsions cannot be heat sterilised because the sterilisation temperature breaks the emulsion owing to the coagulation of the egg yolk. It is therefore often necessary that the pH of emulsions stabilised by egg yolk be lower than desired for taste requirements in order to obtain satisfactory microbiological storage stability.
Japanese Patent Application No. 56465/62 describes a process for producing a butter-like food with the flavour of eggs, in which a group of enzymes obtained from fungi is added to egg yolk or whole egg liquid to effect the enzymatic action until it loses its thermosetting properties, inactivating the enzyme, and adding edible oil and a hydrophilic emulsifier to the liquid to emulsify. The group of enzymes may include proteolytic enzymes, a lipase, a lecithin decomposition enzyme, amylases, as well as an enzyme participating in nucleic acid decomposition and an enzyme acting on a flavour precursor. However, in this process, a considerable amount of emulsifier is added to emulsify the product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,124 describes a water and oil emulsion which contains a phospholipo-protein containing material which has been modified by phospholipase A.